8.RI.KID.1
2021 Release Items
Read the passage below. Then choose the best answer to each question.
Passage 1 U.S. Battleship Maine Explodes in Havana Harbor
Read the passages and answer the questions that follow.
Passage 1 U.S. Battleship Maine Explodes in Havana Harbor
by The Learning Network
1. 1 On Feb. 15, 1898, the U.S. battleship Maine blew up in Havana Harbor, killing 260 crew members. The episode escalated tensions between the United States and Spain and contributed to the outbreak of the Spanish-American War two months later.
2. 2 The New York Times reported, “As yet the cause of the explosion is not apparent. The wounded sailors of the Maine are unable to explain it. It is believed that the battleship is totally destroyed. The explosion shook the whole city. The windows were broken in nearly all the houses.”
3. 3 The Maine was stationed in Havana as a symbol of U.S. support of the Cuban independence movement. Due in part to U.S. pressure, Spain had agreed to grant Cuba limited autonomy beginning Jan. 1, 1898. Later that month, riots broke out in Havana involving Cuban rebels and Spanish forces, and U.S. President William McKinley ordered the Maine to Havana in mid- January to protect U.S. business and military interests.
4. 4 When the Maine exploded, suspicion immediately fell upon the Spanish. Don Enrique Dupuy de Lome, the former Spanish ambassador to the United States, declared that there was no chance of Spanish involvement and that the explosion had been an accident.
5. 5 Regardless of the true cause of the explosion, the American public responded in outrage. . . . The American yellow press, particularly William Randolph Hearst’s New York Journal and Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World, stoked anti-Spanish sentiment.
6. 6 The U.S. Navy conducted an investigation and on March 28, concluded that a mine had destroyed the Maine, and though the report could not assign responsibility, it was presumed that it was carried out by the Spanish. On April 11, McKinley asked Congress for permission to send troops to Cuba. Two weeks later, Congress declared war.
7. 7 The Spanish-American War, fought in the Spanish territories of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam and
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the Philippines, was a short, one-sided war. U.S. forces overpowered the Spanish in Cuba, and most of the fighting ended by mid-July.
8. 8 The explosion of the Maine remains controversial. Numerous investigations have been conducted to find the cause of the explosion, but there has yet to be a definitive finding. In 1976, U.S. Adm. Hyman G. Rickover’s private investigation concluded that the explosion was caused by an internal force, likely a fire in the coal bunker. A 1998 National Geographic investigation found that the hull was bent inward, suggesting that there had been an external force and lending credence to the mine theory.
February 15, 2012 - By THE LEARNING NETWORK - U.S. - Print Headline: “Feb. 15, 1898 | U.S. Battleship Maine Explodes in Havana Harbor.”
Which detail from paragraph 11 explains why the Captain and crew changed their minds about leaving the ship?
A. “The after-part of the rear-deck of the Maine, the highest intact point above water, was then level with the gig's gunwale, while that boat was in the water alongside.”
Rationale:
It is unlikely that most readers understand the technical vocabulary used by the Captain. However, this description implies that the ship is riding low in the water, though still above the surface. This detail describes part of a dire situation, but implies no immediate crisis that would compel the crew to leave the ship. Students who selected this option may not have compared the information in each quote to evaluate how it related to the question of the crew leaving the ship. Students may benefit from practice in comparing related details to find connections between them.
B. “We had done everything that could be done, so far as could be seen.” Rationale:
In paragraph 11, the Captain was looking at the damage to the battleship and realized there was nothing that they could do to salvage the Maine. Despite that, the officers and crew were not leaving the ship at this point. Students most likely selected this option because they incorrectly inferred that the crew and officers were getting off the ship since it was sinking. These students might benefit from returning to the text to practice inferencing and drawing conclusions.
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C. “We waited until satisfied that she was resting on the bottom of the harbor.” Rationale:
The officers and crew waited to leave until they saw the rear deck of the Maine under water. They had not changed their minds to get off the ship. It wasn't until the Captain was told there might be more explosions that the crew left the ship. Students most likely selected this option because they misinterpreted “we waited” in the context of the sentence and paragraph. This quotation explains why the crew initially waited to leave the ship, but is not related to their eventual decision to leave the ship. Students could benefit by reading text and inferencing thoughts, actions, and words.
Correct D. “Lieutenant-Commander Wainwright then whispered to me that he thought the forward ten-inch magazine had been thrown up into the burning material amidships and might explode at any time, with further disastrous effects.”
Rationale:
Crew members were still on the Maine until the Captain was told that a ten-inch magazine was thrown into burning material and could possibly cause another explosion. It was at this point that the Captain had to “get everybody into the boats.” The possibility of another explosion was the impetus to get the crew quickly off the boat.
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